Tar & Roses is a collaboration between Victoria’s Don Lewis and Narelle King, who have been making wine together for some years in the Spanish region of Priorat, not far from the Mediterranean coast, about 150 kilometres south-west of Barcelona. This tasty red is a blend of all five of the district’s permitted red varieties: grenache, carignane, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It’s a great example of how well the combination of New and Old World techniques, resources and imagination can work. It’s a robust wine with a hearty nose reminiscent of spicy fruit cake, dark berries and leather. The palate has great textural interest, starting off silky, then building mouth-weight with a background of dry but moderate tannins. It finishes with lip-smacking succulence and a warmly satisfying aftertaste.

Food ideas: Lamb with chorizo and potatoes; braised veal shank
Ralph Kyte-Powell, Epicure- The Age, Tues 21st April 09